Flying

Fractional aircraft ownership is a great American entrepreneurial idea that arguably hasn't traveled well. Fifteen years after its main proponent, NetJets, brought the concept to Europe, that company remains the only one to have achieved any lasting traction in the international markets that supposedly have a massive appetite for business aviation.

What if there were no airlines? It may sound crazy, but now-retired rogue aeronautical engineer Burt Rutan once speculated that, someday, people might look back and say, "For a short period in history, people traveled en masse in giant airplanes called 'airliners.' They only used a very few crowded runways, and traveling to and from the airports often took longer than the flight itself." In Rutan's version of the future, we would further develop the general aviation infrastructure such that people could fly on light airplanes to and from the thousands of small airports near their homes and destinations.

San-Diego charter firm Schubach Aviation ended its yearlong “One Cent Per Mile” fundraising campaign for orphaned animals by donating $10,160 to Helen Woodward Animal Center, which is also located in San Diego. Schubach began the campaign in January of last year, promising to donate one cent for every mile flown by its 15 aircraft through the end of 2011.

Lufthansa announced January 23 that it will introduce its Lufthansa Private Jet service to the North American market on February 1. The service–which the company already offers in Europe in conjunction with NetJets Europe–will connect 21 North American cities served by Lufthansa and Swiss airlines.

Martha Stewart is now flying charter through Farmingdale, N.Y.-based Talon Air and she appears in a lengthy video featured on the private aviation services' company website. Stewart created breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes that will be prepared by Talon Air chefs and served onboard with recommended wine pairings.

Business aircraft flying activity in the U.S. fell 2.2 percent in December, compared with the same month a year ago, according to data from aviation services company Argus. While Part 91 (corporate) flying increased 2.1 percent compared with December 2010, fractional and charter flights declined 3.6 and 8.4 percent respectively.

Maurício Botelho resigned as chairman of the board of Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer “for personal reasons" on January 13. Vice chairman Hermann Wever will fill the top job until the company elects a new chairman. Botelho, who served as president and CEO of Embraer from 1995 to 2007, led its restructuring, growth and globalization efforts.

Chef in the Sky, a new service from London-based caterer Alison Price On Air, provides personal chefs aboard business jet flights. Customers can choose from a preselected menu with paired wines or design their own multicourse feasts.

Anjet has opened an office in Hong Kong to complement its California-based operations. The charter company will cater to the private aviation needs of clients in China, South Korea, Singapore, India, the South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand and the surrounding areas.

Quote/Unquote

“"I've got a list of corporations that have gotten out of their airplanes [because of criticism from politicians]. It is the stupidest thing I've ever seen. When you look at the time and cost savings; it does not make sense not to fly [privately]. You can't let public perception interfere with your business decision to fly. It either is a good business decision or it isn't."”